New York county introduces $2,000 fine to combat spread of measles
One county in New York is putting a price tag on spreading measles.
Rockland County issued an order on Tuesday demanding that any person who has come into contact with a measles-infected person stay out of public spaces or face a $2,000-a-day fine, reports Vice News. Rockland County has had 186 confirmed cases of the disease since October.
The outbreak in Rockland has been centered in the area's Orthodox Jewish communities and has been associated with travelers returning from Israel, reports NPR.
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A previous order prevented unvaccinated children in Rockland from entering all indoor public spaces, but a state judge blocked enforcement of the ban after a group of parents sued, per NPR. Around 28 percent of children in the county are unvaccinated, reports NPR.
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Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.